Consolidating Blogs

In the interest of making life a little simpler, I am moving future "Glass" posts to my main blog, Jim Lyons Observations. I actually started two weeks ago, with a brief note on Google's "One Day Sale" (see "Glass - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?").

My previous posts here at "Glass Half Full" will remain, as long as Google and Blogger remain.

Glass Economics, Part Two

A few months ago, as the news was coming out about additional Glass Explorer invites (and thus, expanded Glass supply), I posted (see Google Glass economics update) that my tracking of "After Market" Glass values on Ebay could be expected to plummet. Well...yes, indeed, used Glass prices on Ebay seem to have settled (for now) at an average that is somewhat below the $1500 "list price" Google still charges (see screenshot, above, for a sample of recently concluded Ebay auctions).

This outcome is to be expected, with "new" always commanding a premium over "used" in all but the most unusual of cases, with one of those exceptions potentially occurring when there is constrained product supply, with strong demand. Also, as far resale value, I would imagine a spate of negative Glass press recently has not helped, either!

Back when I joined the Explorer program, in August 2013, and in the following months, the after-market price on Ebay ranged from $3,000 to $5,000 (complete with caveat emptor warnings).

How to not be a Glassh***

I admit to having been distracted of late, and not as faithful to the Glass beat as much as I like to be. I note, for example, more than a month has passed since my last post here, which is too long, by my standards anyway.

But I have things to report, so keep coming back! First, and thanks to Business Insider's "10 Tech Things You Need To Know This Morning", and their link to a TechCrunch piece this from yesterday, "Google Explains How Not To Be A Glasshole". The article, by Matt Burns, provides some insight while quoting a "Glass do's and don'ts" guide recently released by Google.

The Glass Explorers site, where I have also been missing in action recently, has a post dated February 10 from Glass Guide Teresa Z giving a little more background on the list. Given that is over a week ago, I might expect more of a discussion developing, but not so.

To me, the way people interact with me (or choose to discreetly not interact) is one of the most interesting things about the experience of being a Glass Explorer. And I must admit, the last of the four of the "don'ts" (below) is one I learned the hard way on, at least on one occaison when mine was brand new.

Be creepy or rude (aka, a “Glasshole”). Respect others and if they have questions about Glass don’t get snappy. Be polite and explain what Glass does and remember, a quick demo can go a long way. In places where cell phone cameras aren’t allowed, the same rules will apply to Glass. If you’re asked to turn your phone off, turn Glass off as well. Breaking the rules or being rude will not get businesses excited about Glass and will ruin it for other Explorers.

Eating crow, #throughglass

I using that old expression, "eating Crow", not because I dislike corvids (they are among my favorite birds), but because it seems to best capture my admission of being wrong. The new Glass I received the other day was indeed the new hardware, and included the earplug which I found (at Glass Support's urging) through a further search of the shipping box and its contents. It was mounted on a card (above) and tucked into the Glass carrying pouch! So unlike what I'd reported last time (see "A nod is as good as a wink"), I don't have to do another exchange, and my next task is to try that plug out!

A nod is as good as a wink!

My first photo #throughglass using the "wink" function

Here's my first post of the new year, all of 14 days in! By way of excusing my absence from this blog, I have been without Glass for a majority of the first two weeks of the year, but that was not totally unexpected.

My "swap" to new hardware had been promised via several emails in December, so I was anticipating shipping off the old, rather worse-for-wear unit and getting my upgrade soon after the new year began. But alas, delays on the swap from Google's end caused me to go ahead and initiate a warranty return of my faulty Version 1 unit (with it battery/charging issues). I had held off on executing that earlier, knowing (hoping) my swap to Version 2 was moving right along, an assumption I then gave up on, following some very indefinite advice from Glass phone support. But, my hopes were again raised when the agent (Glass Guide) handling my warranty return early last week emailed a reply that indicated the returned unit WOULD actually be of the Version 2 variety.

Through several hiccups and over a week's time, I finally received a new unit this morning, but, alas, it still seems to be Version 1 (the lack of an earpiece tipped me off). But the revised version does at least include the "wink" feature, which I have been experimenting with, and finding it erratic but fun! (Referring to that post title - it seems to work with a nod equally well, i.e. intermittently, as with a wink.) I will also give them credit for a much-improved setup routine.

My Marketing Class takes place tonight (January 14th) and following a demo there, my nearly new unit will be making its way back to Google for a real swap, it appears, pending further advice from Support.

2013 - Lost Year in Tech?

As the old year winds down, included among my favorite traditions are the retrospectives, both in broadcast and print (online). Who died, what were the top movies and books, and what were the best photos? We can find many examples like these, and I tend to enjoy them all, even if I don't agree. I am even producing one myself for publication on my other blog, blogspot.jimlyonsobservations. com, on the Year in Mobile Printing. It should be up tomorrow (New Year's Eve - nothing like a deadline!).

Regarding tech-industry milestones for 2013, a provocative year-end summary from Quartz and writer Christoper Mims titled "2013 was a lost year for tech"), has stirred the proverbial pot over the lost few days. Responses from many have followed, including two notable tech voices, Om Malik (see "Dear Quartz, maybe it’s you that needs new glasses and a map. 2013 was not a lost year for tech") and John Gruber (see "2013: The Year in Apple and Technology at Large") who beg to differ with Mims.

Specifically regarding Google Glass (which was featured as the lead illustration for the Quartz piece), Mims lumps "wearables" generally as a "letdown". Specific to Glass, he actually makes a very reasonable point, that Google "couldn’t hide the fact that Glass is a technology in search of an application..." but goes on with a conclusion to the solution-seeking-a-problem statement ("...unless that application is invasions of privacy") that I simply don't agree with.

Malik, after leading with the argument that Mims is too consumer-focused in his judgments, also fires back on Glass, with more very reasonable points (which means I agree with him).

Quartz bemoans Google Glass and labels it the standard bearer of disappointment in tech in 2013. Google Glass might earn you the sobriquet “glasshole,” but the reality is that in the future we will have a much improved derivative of Google Glass in our lives. It might not even look like Google Glass, but the wearable computing and personal compute fabrics will be a reality in the not-too-distant future.

I will leave my readers to read more, from all three pieces as well as others, and wish everyone a Happy 2014. My next post should include an update on my new-and-improved Glass, being exchanged this week!

Adventures in Glass

I've enjoyed taking pics of the holiday decorations #throughglass, and the enhancements through Google+

The last few weeks have brought about many interesting Glass-related adventures and developments. I'll recap as many as I can remember here.

I traveled with Glass, first to Las Vegas and the Business imaging Expo, and then in the same week, to Miami and an Analyst Day hosted by Nuance Communications. On both stops, I enjoyed showing my Glass to friends and colleagues, providing many people with a chance for a little up-close-and-personal experience. 

I also am in the waiting stage for the mailer that will allow me to get my new Glass hardware from Google (should be here any day per the emails), and in addition to trying the "new and improved" version and its "winking" capability (more on this to come), I'll be glad to be rid of my current unit and its janky charge/battery situation, which I have been working around since the beginning (mid-August).

On the software front, I've just downloaded the XE12 version of the Glass OS, and also, only today, grabbed the iOS Glassware app. I should also add my proficiency with the Android version has increased significantly. 

So lots to report with more pending, but I would be amiss to not include a scary "misadventure". My Glass unit, snugly packed in its carrying pouch, was temporarily abandoned in the seat back pocket of one of the many airplanes I have been aboard recently. Fortunately, I realized it was missing from my gadget-laden backpack after a few minutes, and a quick stroll back to the gate, along with trusty help from a UAL agent, helped me get it back. Whew!!!